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Boat Launch · Sumner County

Special Needs Access, Old Hickory Lake

1 ramp, 1 lane, fishing pier, restrooms. 3 miles from Gallatin.

Get driving directionsAll Sumner County spots

With a guide

Guides and charters near Special Needs Access

Captains who run Old Hickory Lake, with their own phone numbers. You call and book with them directly.

Billy Flatt · Nashville

Nashville Fishing Charters

Stripers, hybrids, crappie, largemouth, smallmouthCall 615-812-2091nashvillefishingcharters.com

Capt. Brian and two guides · Nashville

Fish Nashville

Striper, hybrid, catfish, crappie, bass, troutCall 615-200-0618fishnashville.com

Mark Travis · Nashville area

Crappie Guide Service

White and black crappieCall 615-542-9800crappieguideservice.com

All 6 guides on Nashville lakes and the Cumberland

What to bring

Tackle for Special Needs Access

Three picks from the largemouth bass checklist that work for the fish here. Affiliate links: buying through them pays this site a small commission at no extra cost to you.

RodUgly Stik GX2 7 ft medium-heavy casting rodStiff enough to set a hook in grass, tough enough to live in a truck bed.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
ReelAbu Garcia Black Max baitcasting reelAn inexpensive baitcaster that casts cleanly once the brakes are set.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
Soft plasticZoom Trick WormThe Tennessee standard on a Texas rig or weightless along docks and grass edges.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
Full largemouth bass checklist (11 items)All gear checklists

Spending more? The bigger purchases, compared side by side:

Smallmouth Bass checklistCrappie checklistStriper and Hybrid checklistFish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

How to get there

Getting to Special Needs Access

Special Needs Access is a public boat launch on Old Hickory Lake in Sumner County, Tennessee, run by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

TWRA holds no written directions for Special Needs Access. Use the coordinates below, which come straight from the state’s access record and drop you on the access point itself rather than on the nearest town.

Special Needs Access is 2.6 miles south-west of Gallatin, the nearest town with its own page here. The closest other public access is Gallatin Marina, 0.7 miles to the south on the same water. For bait, Poindexter Bait Shop in Gallatin is about 2 miles away.

Coordinates 36.35760, -86.47310

Open in Google MapsSee nearby spots on the mapFishing near Gallatin
Aerial view of Special Needs Access
Special Needs Access from above. The pin marks the access point. USGS aerial imagery.

What is there

What you will find at Special Needs Access

Free to launch 4.5 out of 5 Facilities 4.5 of 5, scored from what TWRA records: ramp, docks, pier, restrooms, parking, lighting and hours.

Everything below comes from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s own public access record for Special Needs Access. It is the same data the state uses, not a guess from a photograph.

Boat ramp

You can launch a trailered boat here. 1 lane.

Fishing pier

A built pier, so you can fish deep water without a boat.

Restrooms

Toilets on site, which is rarer than you would think.

Accessible parking

Marked accessible parking at the access point.

Courtesy dock

A dock beside the ramp to tie off while you park the trailer.

Open 24 hours

TWRA records round the clock access, so early starts are fine.

Not recorded here: canoe and kayak, camping. Worth knowing before a long drive with the family.

What you can catch

Fish you can catch at Special Needs Access

Old Hickory Lake holds these, according to the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes.

largemouth basssmallmouth basscrappiestriped basswhite basswalleyesaugercatfish

The Cumberland forms Wilson County’s northern border with Trousdale and Sumner and that reach is Old Hickory; the Wilson side is the Cedar Creek and Hunters Point country, and TWRA rates the lake a world-class trophy striped bass fishery with regular catches over 50 lb.

Everything on Old Hickory LakeFind a local fishing guide

What you can keep

Fishing limits at Special Needs Access

What you can keep from Old Hickory Lake at Special Needs Access. TWRA sets 3 rules just for Old Hickory Lake. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.

FishDaily limitLengthWhere or when
Largemouth bass5 black bass combined14 in minimumOld Hickory Lake rule
Smallmouth bass5 black bass combined18 in minimumOld Hickory Lake rule
Crappie3010 in minimumOld Hickory Lake rule
Striped bass2 striped and hybrid combined15 in minimumStatewide
White bass15No minimumStatewide
Walleye516 in minimumStatewide
Sauger1015 in minimumStatewide
Channel catfishNo limit under 34 inOnly one over 34 inStatewide

From the 2026–27 Tennessee Fishing Guide (TWRA), in effect 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027, checked 25 September 2026. Rules change, so check the guide before you keep a fish.

Statewide limits and licenses

20 public boat launches in Sumner County, counted from TWRA’s own access database.

What it looks like

Old Hickory Lake around Special Needs Access

What the water at Special Needs Access actually looks like. Drag or swipe through. Every picture opens that water’s own page.

Old Hickory Lake, TennesseeOld Hickory LakeOpen the Old Hickory Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0Old Hickory Lake, TennesseeOld Hickory LakeOpen the Old Hickory Lake page →Brian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

Next one along

More Old Hickory Lake access near Special Needs Access

The closest other public access points on Old Hickory Lake, measured straight line from Special Needs Access. Each one opens its own page with directions.

Fee not listed1 out of 5facilitiesMarinaGallatin Marina0.7 miles southDirections and detail →36.34734, -86.47693Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACELock 4 Access1.4 miles south1 ramp, 1 lanefishing pierrestroomsDirections and detail →36.33740, -86.47620Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACECedar Grove Access1.9 miles south-east1 rampfishing pierrestroomsDirections and detail →36.34010, -86.44660Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEStation Camp Creek2.4 miles west1 ramp, 2 lanesDirections and detail →36.34820, -86.51360Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEMartha Gallatin Boat Ramp2.4 miles south-east1 ramp, 1 laneDirections and detail →36.33586, -86.43876Free5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEBull Run Access2.4 miles south-east1 ramp, 2 lanesfishing pierrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.34290, -86.43340
All 54 access points on Old Hickory Lake

Special Needs Access water holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill.

Other water close by

Other fishing near Special Needs Access

Public access on other water within 20 miles of Special Needs Access, including Cheatham Lake, Stones River and J. Percy Priest Lake. Handy when the wind is wrong on Old Hickory Lake or the ramp is busy.

Free2.5 out of 5facilitiesFishing Site · USACEOld Hickory DamCheatham Lake · 11 miles westI-40 to exit 221, OH Blvd to OH Damrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.29657, -86.65942Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEOld Hickory Dam Boat RampCheatham Lake · 11 miles westI-40 to exit 221, OH Blvd to OH Dam1 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.29828, -86.66279Fee not listed1.5 out of 5facilitiesFishing SiteStones River Greenway, HermitageStones River · 15 miles south-westDirections and detail →36.18533, -86.63434Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACELock Two Park Boat RampCheatham Lake · 15 miles south-westI-40 to Briley Pkwy North, to McGavock pike exit, then to Pennington Bend River1 ramp, 1 laneaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.24392, -86.70346Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACENeely’s Bend Boat RampCheatham Lake · 15 miles south-westI-40 to exit 221, OH Blvd to Neely’s Bend Rd1 ramp, 1 laneaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.19458, -86.66078Free4 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEVivrett Creek Recreation AreaJ. Percy Priest Lake · 15 miles south1 ramp, 2 lanesfishing piercanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →36.14076, -86.54348

Bait on the way

Bait and tackle near Special Needs Access

The closest shops to Special Needs Access that this site has checked. Poindexter Bait Shop in Gallatin is nearest, about 2 miles away. Call ahead in winter, when smaller shops cut their hours.

Gallatin · about 2 milesPoindexter Bait ShopLive bait, so this is the stop for minnows, crickets and nightcrawlers.Directions and phone →Mount Juliet · about 11 milesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsChain sporting goods. Rods, reels, line, terminal tackle and a licence counter.Directions and phone →Mount Juliet · about 13 milesWalmart SupercenterOpen late, sells licences at the counter, and carries terminal tackle and line.Directions and phone →
All bait and tackle in Sumner County

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Common questions

Questions about Special Needs Access

Can you launch a boat at Special Needs Access?

Yes. TWRA records Special Needs Access as having a boat ramp. It has 1 lane. TWRA records it as free to launch.

Do you need a fishing licence at Special Needs Access?

Yes. Anyone 13 or older needs a Tennessee fishing licence to fish here, and a trout supplemental on top of it if you plan to keep trout. It is the same rule at every public access point in the state.

What fish are in the water at Special Needs Access?

Old Hickory Lake holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, striped bass, white bass, walleye, sauger and catfish. Seasons and creel limits are set by TWRA and change, so check them before you keep anything.

Where can I buy bait near Special Needs Access?

Poindexter Bait Shop in Gallatin is the closest bait and tackle shop this site lists, about 2 miles from Special Needs Access. Academy Sports + Outdoors in Mount Juliet is next, about 11 miles away.

Is there a restroom at Special Needs Access?

Yes, TWRA records restrooms at this access point.

Who runs Special Needs Access?

Special Needs Access is listed under the US Army Corps of Engineers in TWRA’s public access database. The owner is worth knowing because it usually decides whether there is a fee, whether the gate is locked overnight, and who to ring when a ramp is closed for repair.

Where to next

Around Special Needs Access

Special Needs Access is one access point. These pages cover the rest of the water and the rest of the county.

The whole waterFishing Old Hickory Lake54 public access points across 5 counties.See the spots →County guideFishing in Sumner CountyEvery public spot in Sumner County, mapped out.See the spots →Full listSumner County spot listAll 26 access points in the county.See the spots →GearBait and tackle near GallatinShops, rentals and where to buy a licence locally.Find gear →Nearest townFishing near GallatinEverything within about 30 miles of Gallatin, closest first.See the spots →

Keep going

Fishing around Special Needs Access, and who knows it

Guides and charters on this site are listed by the water they run, so you can ring the captain who fishes Old Hickory Lake rather than a booking desk. Licences and limits are one click away too.

Guides by waterLicence and limits